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1 week ago | 
thecritic.co.uk | Matthew Roberts
Secularism has nothing to offer in comparison to Easter There are many ways in which secular atheism is demonstrating itself to be a wholly inadequate view of the world. There is its caustic effect on human relationships, as its elevation of power and grievance over love and responsibility drives people apart and destroys families and society. There is its appalling vacuum of meaning and value, which cannot be filled with self-help, sex and Amazon Prime.
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4 weeks ago | 
mondaq.com | Michael Gagie |Matthew Roberts |Derrick Kan |Karen Zhang Pallaras
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) has long been a significantplayer in the Asian market. In 2025, the BVI continues to evolve,driven by regulatory changes, new opportunities for funds, itsgrowing role as a hub for virtual assets and the continuedpopularity of the BVI Business Company (BVI BC). The MaplesGroup's Asia-based BVI team provides an overview of its placein Asia in 2025.
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1 month ago | 
forbes.com | Matthew Roberts
Americans continue to lose money from fraud at alarming rates. According to a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report, they reported losing more than $12.5 billion from fraud in 2025 (an increase of 25% from the prior year). The actual losses are almost certainly much higher. In addition to the loss itself, Americans suffer from confusion concerning whether they may claim deductions as a result of the fraud.
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1 month ago | 
mondaq.com | Matthew Roberts
In tax controversy and litigation matters, sometimes proceduretrumps the merits. The statute of limitations is a great example. Even if the taxpayer made a mistake on a prior year return, the IRSgenerally can't open an audit if the applicable statute oflimitations period has expired. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA) hasits own statute of limitations rules associated with partnerships.
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1 month ago | 
forbes.com | Matthew Roberts
In tax controversy and litigation matters, sometimes procedure trumps the merits. The statute of limitations is a great example. Even if the taxpayer made a mistake on a prior year return, the IRS generally can’t open an audit if the applicable statute of limitations period has expired. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA) has its own statute of limitations rules associated with partnerships.
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1 month ago | 
forbes.com | Matthew Roberts
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) limited theft loss deductions, although tax professionals debate how far. I’ve commented on this issue in prior articles, including here, and therefore will not repeat those comments again. Rather, this article seeks to address questions I have received from tax professionals and taxpayers in recent weeks regarding whether taxpayers may claim theft losses post-TCJA under the “safe harbor” of Rev. Proc. 2009-20?
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2 months ago | 
forbes.com | Matthew Roberts
Taxpayers often use entities characterized as partnerships for federal income tax purposes to conduct their business activities. In addition to offering limited liability (e.g., limited liability companies and limited partnerships), these entities provide flexibility for their partners in structuring business arrangements. Therefore, it is not surprising that the IRS has noticed a significant uptick in partnership income tax return filings in the last decade. Congress also noticed.
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2 months ago | 
forbes.com | Matthew Roberts
Federal tax law requires U.S. persons to report their receipt of foreign gifts or inheritances. IRS Form 3520, Annual Return to Report Transactions with Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts, is the appropriate information return. If a taxpayer misses the filing deadline, the IRS may impose significant penalties (up to 25% of the amount of the foreign gift or inheritance received).
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Jan 20, 2025 | 
forbes.com | Matthew Roberts
In recent years, the IRS has taken a more defensive posture as it seeks to have federal courts validate its guidance. Indeed, many federal courts have overruled such guidance on procedural grounds, such as the agency’s failure to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). After the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Loper Bright, we can expect these types of challenges to continue on both substantive and procedural grounds.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
thecritic.co.uk | Matthew Roberts
Don’t hustle kids away from church services During my years as a Presbyterian Minister, I have learned an important truth about first-time fathers. It’s this: if Dad is a football fan, he will without fail buy his son or daughter a baby-sized team strip. Then as soon as the little one is up to it, he will start to take him or her along to games. If being a parent means anything, it means teaching your children from their earliest days to love what you love.
